Single use sealed container assembly for a large format ice unit

ABSTRACT

A single use sealed container assembly for a large format ice unit includes a container having an open end and a closed cavity defining a predetermined volume of at least three fluid ounces, and up to about six fluid ounces. A seal assembly has a cover member dimensioned to completely overlie the open end of the container. A seal is disposed between the container and the cover member, wherein the seal at least temporarily maintains the cover member in a sealing engagement over the open end of the container. An amount of a liquid product is maintained in the closed cavity of the container by the cover member until such time as the container assembly is placed into a freezer, thereby forming a large format ice unit therein, which may be accessed by a user by removing the cover member from the open end of the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a single use sealed container assembly structured to facilitate freezing an amount of a liquid product into a single large format ice unit. The single use sealed container assembly is dimensioned to contain an amount of a liquid product of at least three fluid ounces and up to about six fluid ounces. In at least one embodiment, a liquid product comprises an amount of substantially pure water such that a high clarity large format ice unit is formed in the single use sealed container assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

Ice in beverages is typically a double-edged sword. While excellent for its cooling properties, it tends to melt thus diluting a drink which negatively impacts the way drinks taste due to the addition of the melted liquid, as well as dissolving any impurities present in the ice into the drink itself.

One attempt to address the issue of ice melting too quickly is through the use of single large format ice shapes including cubes and rectangles. These large format ice shapes are typically made from at least 3 fluid ounces of liquid, such as water, and tend to melt slower due their favorable surface area to volume ratio. The lower the volume to surface area ratio, the slower the ice will melt, all other conditions being equal. As such, a single large unit of ice is more desirable to cool a beverage than many smaller ones. Applicant has determined that the optimal shape for minimal surface area to volume is a sphere which has a surface area to volume ratio of about 4.8. Other favorable shapes include, but are not limited to, cubic, square rectangular, icosahedrons, and octahedrons.

There are a number of methods available for producing large format ice. These involve the use of multi-part molds as well as trays. These products are generally reusable and washable. Users of these products typically fill them with a liquid, place them in the freezer, and then extract the frozen liquid after several hours. In most of these cases, a single piece of large-format ice is served per beverage. After the removal of the ice, the containers are intended to be cleaned and the process repeated. As will be evident to those of skill in the art, these methods present numerous shortcomings.

To begin, as these large-format ice molds and trays are reusable, there is a considerable likelihood of contamination during the filling, freezing or serving stages depending on the practices of the operators. Since ice is considered a food item by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is important that it remain sanitary during the entire process which the present methods do not address with certainty.

In addition, when used to freeze water, large-format trays or molds tend to produce a cloudy ice product. This is due to the fact that dissolved gasses get trapped in the ice during the freezing process. Many consumers perceive that clear ice is more ‘pure’ and therefore, more desirable. While there are a number of complicated multi-step methods employed to achieve clarity using these kinds of molds, none are truly practical when attempting to produce large format ice products. In addition, either tap water or bottled water is typically used to fill large format ice molds. Both sources of water often contain minerals, in the form of dissolved solids. It is a known fact that minerals impart taste when mixed with beverages. As such, when ice made from water containing dissolved solids melts, it invariably modifies the taste of the beverage in which it was served.

A further problem with existing products is that removal of the ice is difficult as it tends to stick to the container when frozen. As such, the use of these products in a high volume location, such as a bar or restaurant, is undesirable since these locations typically require fast turnaround for serving cocktails. All large format ice containers known today are intended to be filled and frozen immediately. None are structured to secure the liquid for easy transportation in an unfrozen state. As such, the molds must be filled and frozen at the source, and then must be stored, handled and transported in a frozen state, thereby adding considerable expense to these known large format ice products. Alternatively, the molds are transported empty, and are only filled and frozen once they arrive at their destination, thereby being subject to the disadvantages noted above.

A further shortcoming is that most large format ice molds known today cost anywhere from US $2 to US $20. This is because virtually all of them have been designed for multiple uses. Until the present invention, no single use containers for large format ice units are known.

A further issue is that most consumers have no idea where their ice comes from as virtually none of the mold or tray manufacturers apply their logos directly onto the ice. As such, once the ice is served in a glass, it would be virtually impossible for a consumer to know the origins of the ice they are consuming.

Based on the disadvantages outlined above, it would therefore be beneficial to have a low cost single use container assembly to facilitate production of a single large format unit of ice. It would also be beneficial for a liquid product to be sealed within a container for ease of transport in a sealed and unfrozen state, such that it could be frozen by an end user on an as needed basis. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a single use disposable container such that the liquid product contained therein can be maintained in a completely sanitary state until used by an end user. The present invention addresses at least the aforementioned shortcomings in the production of large format ice products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a single use sealed container for forming a liquid product into a single large format ice unit. The ice unit may be formed into any of a variety of geometric configurations including, but not limited to, cubic or square rectangular geometries. The resulting large format frozen liquid can be used to cool beverages and is more desirable over a plethora of smaller ice cubes due to the fact that large format ice units melt at a significantly slower rate. As set forth in detail hereinafter, each container is structured for a single use only, thereby assuring a sanitary ice product every time. As such, the present invention is highly beneficial for commercial establishments including bars or restaurants, outdoor events, as well as for the home.

In at least one embodiment, a single use sealed container assembly for a large format ice unit in accordance with the present invention comprises a container assembly which includes a container having an open end and a closed cavity having a predetermined volume. In one further embodiment, the predetermined volume is at least three fluid ounces, and up to about six fluid ounces. Although a container in accordance with the present invention may comprise any of a variety of geometric configurations, as noted above, in at least one embodiment, a container comprises a base, oppositely disposed side walls, and oppositely disposed end walls, wherein the base, the side walls, and the end walls at least partially define a predetermined geometry which, and again as noted above, can include but is in no manner limited to, a cubic configuration or a square rectangular configuration.

In one embodiment, a seal assembly is provided which comprises a cover member. In at least one embodiment, the cover member is dimensioned to completely overlie the open end of the container. In a further embodiment, a seal is disposed between the container and the cover member, wherein the seal at least temporarily maintains the cover member is a sealing engagement over the open end of the container. In at least one embodiment, the sealing engagement is at least partially defined by a substantially liquid tight seal between the cover member and the open end of the container.

An amount of a liquid product is maintained in the closed cavity of the container by the cover member, in at least one embodiment, wherein the amount of liquid product comprises a liquid volume which is substantially equal to the predetermined volume of the container. In yet one further embodiment, the liquid product comprises an amount of substantially pure water.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of a single use sealed container for a large format ice unit in accordance with the present invention comprising a substantially cubic configuration.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the illustrative embodiment of the single use sealed container of FIG. 1 illustrating a seal assembly in a partially removed configuration.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the illustrative embodiment of the single use sealed container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the illustrative embodiment of the single use sealed container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one other illustrative embodiment of a single use sealed container for a large format ice unit in accordance with the present invention comprising a substantially square rectangular configuration.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the illustrative embodiment of the single use sealed container of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the illustrative embodiment of the single use sealed container of FIG. 4.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As previously disclosed, the present invention is directed to a single use sealed container assembly generally shown as at 10 throughout the figures. More in particular, the present invention is directed to a single use sealed container assembly 10 to facilitate production of a large format ice unit from a liquid contained therein.

Turning to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a container assembly 20 including a container 21. In at least one embodiment, a container comprises an open end 22 and has a closed cavity 26 disposed therein. As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, a closed cavity 26 of a container 21 comprises a predetermined volume such as is indicated by 27. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined volume 27 of a closed cavity 26 is at least three fluid ounces and may comprises up to about six fluid ounces, which volume at least partially defines a large format ice unit as used throughout the present specification. In at least one embodiment, a flange 28 extends outwardly from an open end 22 of a container 21, and as shown throughout the figures, in at least one further embodiment, a flange 28 extends outwardly from and around the entire perimeter of the open end 22 of the container 21.

Looking once again to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a seal assembly 40. As shown in FIG. 1, a seal assembly 40 comprises a cover member 41, wherein the cover member 41 is dimensioned to completely overly an open end 22 of a container 21. The dimensions of cover member 41 are perhaps best seen in FIG. 1A, which is illustrative of one embodiment of a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention, wherein a portion of a seal assembly 40 is in a partially removed configuration relative to a container assembly 20. More in particular, FIG. 1A is illustrative of a portion of a cover member 41 disposed in a partially removed configuration relative to an open end 22 of the open container 21.

In at least one embodiment, a seal assembly 40 in accordance with the present invention comprises a seal 42 which is disposed between a container 21 and a cover member 41, wherein the seal 42 at least temporarily maintains the cover member 41 in a sealing engagement over an open end 22 of the container 21, such as is shown best in the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 1, 1A, and 4. In yet one further embodiment, a seal 42 is disposed between a container 21 and a cover member 41 and provides a substantially liquid proof seal between the container 21 and the cover member 41. As such, a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention is utilized to temporarily contain an amount of a liquid product 50 while in a fluid state to facilitate storage and transport of the same prior to use. Stated otherwise, among the advantages of a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention is that a liquid product 50 may be stored and transported at room temperatures, or even elevated temperatures. Therefore, the present single use sealed container assembly 10 only requires storage in a freezing environment immediately prior to use. As such, a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention contains an amount of a liquid product 50 which is provided to an end user at room temperature, or thereabouts, allowing the end user to determine when to place the single use sealed container assembly 10 into a freezer or other temperature controlled environment in order to form a large format ice unit from the liquid product 50 which is maintained in a sealed disposition within the single use sealed container assembly 10.

In at least one embodiment, a seal assembly 40 comprises an interface 43 disposed along a perimeter of an open end 22 of a container 21, and more in particular, along a flange 28 extending outwardly from the open end 22, as well as along an outer perimeter of cover member 41, such as is shown in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1A. Looking further to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1A, a seal 42 is disposed substantially along the entire interface 43 between the cover member 41 of seal assembly 40 and along a flange 28 which extends outwardly from and around the entire perimeter of open end 22 of container 21.

As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, providing a seal 42 along an interface 43 disposed around the entire perimeter of an open end 22 of a container 21 and around an outer perimeter of a cover member 41, allows a cover member 41 to be maintained in a sealing engagement over an open end 22 of a container 21. In at least one embodiment, a sealing engagement is at least partially defined by a substantially liquid tight seal between a cover member 41 and an open end 22 of a container 21 along a seal 42.

In an embodiment wherein a container 21 is substantially filled with a liquid product 50, the container 21 and/or seal 42 are formed of a sufficiently flexible material, such as polyethylene or an extruded polyethylene having a thickness in a range of about 10 mil to about 30 mil, so as to allow for expansion of the liquid upon freezing. In yet one further embodiment wherein a container 21 is substantially filled and the container 21 comprises a rigid or semi-rigid construction, the container 21 is structured to allow for incremental or ratcheted separation of components during freezing, so as to accommodate expansion of the ice or other frozen liquid in the sealed environment.

Once a container 21 is filled with a liquid product 50, it is closed via a cover member 41 using an appropriate seal 42, as noted above, which may comprise a plug, a foil seal, a weld or other means of closure, such that a substantially liquid tight seal is formed between cover member 41 and container 21, as stated above, thereby effectively isolating the liquid product within the interior of the container 21 from sources of contamination. In at least one embodiment, once a container 21 is completely filled with a liquid product 50, the container is promptly sealed in a manner which prevents entrapment of gases between the surface of the liquid product 50 in the container 21 and the cover member 41. In at least one embodiment, the seal 42 further restricts entry of gases into the liquid product 50 within the container 21, while also serving to maintain the liquid product 50 in a commercially sterilized state. In at least one embodiment, the materials of construction for the container assembly 20 and the seal assembly 40 comprise sufficient gas barrier characteristics to minimize or prevent ingress of gases into a liquid product 50 contained in the container assembly 20 by the seal assembly 40 in accordance with the present invention.

In at least one other embodiment, a liquid product 50 comprises a liquid which comprises an inherent coloring, such as, by way of example only, iced coffee, iced tea, soda, etc. As such, the clarity of the frozen liquid product 50 is not as visually discernable, so that prevention and/or elimination of gases from the headspace is not a concern. In fact, in at least some embodiments, the headspace above the liquid product 50 is intentionally filled with oxygen, nitrogen, ozone, etc.

In an embodiment wherein a large format ice unit in accordance with the present invention is intended for human consumption, each of the container assembly 20, the seal assembly 40, and the liquid product 50 need to be commercially sterile, however, sterilization of the container assembly 20, the seal assembly 40, and the liquid product 50 do not have to be performed at the same time. To the contrary, commercial sterilization of the container assembly 20, the seal assembly 40, and the liquid product 50 may be accomplished at any time prior to filling of the container 21 with the liquid product 50 and subsequent fluid tight sealing thereof.

As used herein, the terms “sterile”, “sterility”, “commercial sterility”, or equivalents thereof are meant to describe a degree of sterility that complies with The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Volume 2, which was revised as of Apr. 1, 2014 (21 CFR 113.3). In at least one embodiment, the present method is partially or completely implemented in a “clean room” environment to further assure that “commercial sterility” is achieved and maintained.

Looking again to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, as well as the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4, a container 21 in accordance with the present invention comprises oppositely disposed side walls 24 and oppositely disposed end walls 25. Looking with reference of the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 5, a container 21 in accordance with the present invention further comprises a base 23. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a base 23 along with oppositely disposed side walls 24 and oppositely disposed end walls 25 at least partially define a predetermined geometry 26 of a container 21. With reference to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, the predetermined geometry 26 comprises a substantially cubic configuration 26′. In at least one alternative embodiment, a predetermined geometry 26 comprises a square rectangular configuration 26″, such as is shown in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4. Of course, and as noted above, it is within the scope and intent of the present invention for a container 21 to comprise any of a plurality of geometric configurations including, without limitation, icosahedrons, octahedrons, spheres, ellipsoids, etc.

Looking still further to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, a side wall 24 of the container 21 comprises a substantially square geometry having a side wall height 24′ and a side wall length 24″ which are substantially equal. Similarly, end wall 25 comprises an end wall height 25′ and an end wall length 25″ which are substantially equal. In at least one embodiment of a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention, each of a side wall height 24′, side wall length 24″, end wall height 25′, and end wall length 25″, comprise a dimension of approximately 45 millimeters. As such, a predetermined volume 27 of a cavity 26 is equal to the volume of a cube having dimensions of 45 millimeters along each edge. In at least one embodiment, a cube has dimensions of 45 millimeters by 45.5 millimeters by 45.5 millimeters and comprises a predetermined volume 47 of about 3.2 fluid ounces.

Looking next to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4, and as noted above, a container 21 again comprises a side wall 24 having a side wall height 24′ and a side wall length 24″. Unlike the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, wherein said container 21 comprised a cubic configuration 26″ having side walls 24 and end walls 25 comprises substantially equal dimensions, is apparent from the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4 that side wall length 24″ is several times the magnitude of side wall height 24′. Stated otherwise, in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4, each side wall 24 comprises a substantially rectangular configuration. With continued referenced to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4, end walls 25 comprise an end wall height 25′ and an end wall length 25″ which are substantially equal to one another, i.e., each end wall 25 comprises substantially square configuration. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a cavity 26 of a container 21 in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4 comprises a predetermined geometry 26 which is a square rectangular configuration 26″. In at least one embodiment of a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention, a container 21 has a side wall height 24′ of about 35 millimeters and a side wall length 24″ of about 130 millimeters. In addition, end wall 25 of container 21 comprises dimensions of about 35 millimeters along each of end wall height 25′ and end wall length 25″. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a square rectangle having dimensions of about 130 millimeters by about 35 millimeters by about 35 millimeters comprises a volume of about 5.3 fluid ounces.

Turning next to the Illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 5, in at least one embodiment, a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention further comprises an imprint assembly 30. As may be seen from the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 5, imprint assembly 30 comprises an imprint indicia 31. As will be appreciated by those with skill in the art, imprint indicia 31 may comprise a positive relief or negative relief along one or more of a base 23, such as is shown in the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 5, or along one or more of a side wall 24 or and end wall 25 of a container 21 in accordance with the present invention. As will be further appreciated by those of skill in the art, if an imprint indicia comprises a negative relief, i.e., it extends outwardly from a cavity 26 of a container 21, an indicia will be formed which extends outwardly from a large format ice unit formed within a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention. Alternatively, if an imprint indicia comprises a positive relief, i.e., an imprint indicia 31 extends inwardly into a cavity 26 of a container 21, an indicia will be formed on a large format ice unit which projects inwardly into a portion of the large format ice unit. In at least one embodiment, an imprint indicia 31 may comprise both a positive relief and a negative relief, thereby forming an indicia on a large format ice unit wherein a portion of the indicia extends outwardly from the large format ice unit and another portion of the indicia extends inwardly into a portion of the large format ice unit. Regardless of whether an imprint indicia 31 of an imprint assembly 30 in accordance with the present invention comprises a positive relief and/or a negative relief, the end result will be an indicia formed directly onto and/or into a large format ice unit, which will allow a user to identify a source of the large format ice unit which they are or intend to consume.

Looking once again to FIG. 1A, in at least one embodiment, a single use sealed container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises an amount of a liquid product 50 which is maintained in a closed cavity 26 of a container 21 by a cover member 41 of a seal assembly 40. More in particular, in at least one embodiment, an amount of a liquid product 50 comprises a preselected liquid volume 51 which is substantially equal to a predetermined volume 27 of a closed cavity 26 of a container 21.

In order to assure that a large format ice unit produced via a single use container assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention is suitable for human consumption, a liquid product 50 which is disposed in a closed cavity 26 of a container 21 comprises an amount of potable water, and in one further embodiment, the liquid product 50 disposed in the closed cavity 26 of the container 21 comprises an amount of substantially pure water. In at least one embodiment, substantially pure water is water having a total dissolved solids content of less than about ten parts per million. Alternatively, substantially pure water is water having a total dissolved gas content of less than about ten parts per million. In yet one further embodiment, substantially pure water is water having a total dissolved solids content of less than about ten parts per million and a total dissolved gas content of less than about ten parts per million.

Applicant hereby incorporates by reference currently pending and commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/887,871, filed on May 6, 2013, and entitled “APPARATUS FOR FORMING A FROZEN LIQUID PRODUCT”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/642,152, filed on Mar. 9, 2015, and entitled “PROCESSING A LIQUID FOR STORAGE AND SUBSEQUENT FREEZING TO PRODUCE A VISUALLY CLEAR FROZEN LIQUID”.

Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Now that the invention has been described, 

What is claimed is:
 1. A single use sealed container assembly for a large format ice unit comprising: a container assembly comprising a container having an open end and a closed cavity, said closed cavity comprising a predetermined volume, wherein said predetermined volume is at least three fluid ounces, a seal assembly comprising a cover member, wherein said cover member is dimensioned to completely overlie said open end of said container, and a seal disposed between said container and said cover member, wherein said seal at least temporarily maintains said cover member in a sealing engagement over said open end of said container.
 2. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said container further comprises a base, oppositely disposed side walls, and oppositely disposed end walls.
 3. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein said base, said side walls, and said end walls at least partially define a predetermined geometry.
 4. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said predetermined geometry is a substantially cubic configuration.
 5. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said predetermined container volume is at least 3.0 fluid ounces.
 6. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said predetermined geometry is a substantially square rectangular configuration.
 7. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said predetermined container volume is about 4.5 to about 5.5 fluid ounces.
 8. A single use sealed container assembly for a large format ice unit comprising: a container assembly comprising a container having an open end, a base, oppositely disposed side walls, and oppositely disposed end walls, wherein said base, said side walls, and said end walls at least partially define a closed cavity having a predetermined volume, wherein said predetermined volume is at least three fluid ounces, a seal assembly comprising a cover member, wherein said cover member is dimensioned to completely overlie said open end of said container, and a seal disposed between said container and said cover member, wherein said seal at least temporarily maintains said cover member is a sealing engagement over said open end of said container.
 9. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein said sealing engagement is at least partially defined by a substantially liquid tight seal between said cover member and said open end of said container.
 10. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein said container is formed of a material which inhibits transmission of gases therethrough.
 11. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein said cover member is formed of a material which inhibits transmission of gases therethrough.
 12. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said cover member is formed of a material which inhibits transmission of gases therethrough.
 13. A single use sealed container assembly for a large format ice unit comprising: a container assembly including a container having an open end, a base, oppositely disposed side walls, and oppositely disposed end walls, wherein said base, said side walls, and said end walls at least partially define a closed cavity having a predetermined volume, wherein said predetermined volume is at least three fluid ounces, a seal assembly comprising a cover member, wherein said cover member is dimensioned to completely overlie said open end of said container, a seal disposed between said container and said cover member, wherein said seal at least temporarily maintains said cover member is a sealing engagement over said open end of said container, and an amount of a liquid product maintained in said closed cavity of said container by said cover member, wherein said amount of liquid product comprises a liquid volume which is substantially equal to said predetermined volume of said container.
 14. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said liquid product comprises water.
 15. The single use sealed container as recited in claim 14 wherein said liquid product comprises substantially pure water.
 16. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said substantially pure water comprises less than about ten parts per million of dissolved solids.
 17. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said substantially pure water comprises less than about ten parts per million of dissolved gasses.
 18. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said predetermined volume is at least 3.0 fluid ounces.
 19. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said predetermined volume is about 4.5 to about 5.5 fluid ounces.
 20. The single use sealed container assembly as recited in claim 15 further comprising an imprint assembly having at least one imprint indicia which creates an indicia on said large format ice unit upon freezing said liquid product. 